Labour backbenchers ‘plotting to oust Brown’
Gordon Brown’s leadership of the Labour party could be under threat from a group of MPs unhappy with his performance in No 10, a newspaper has claimed.
The Daily Telegraph says moderate backbenchers upset with Mr Brown’s performance as prime minister will write to the Cabinet expressing their opinion.
It claims the letter will call for a leadership election to clear the air on the issue. George Howarth and Charles Clarke are believed to be among the potential ringleaders of a rebellion.
The prime minister has retreated to Southwold in Suffolk for his summer holiday after suffering a third successive by-election defeat in Glasgow East last week.
It comes as Labour backbencher Gordon Prentice, the MP for Pendle who has a majority is 2,180, came out in the open against Mr Brown today.
“He thinks it’s time to have a look at it certainly and he hopes Gordon Brown will think about it over the recess,” a spokesperson told politics.co.uk.
Labour failed to hold on to a majority of over 13,500 in a traditionally safe seat for the party. Instead the constituency returned the Scottish National party’s John Mason to parliament, prompting a weekend of frenzied speculation about Mr Brown’s future.
Senior party figures including Harriet Harman, Jack Straw and John Prescott have been vocal in their support of the prime minister.
Mr Straw said Mr Brown remained the “right man” to lead the party while former deputy prime minister Mr Prescott said a challenge would be “pointless” and “divisive”.
Despite these warnings the group of at least 30 Labour backbenchers is expected to write to the Cabinet calling for a leadership election – without stating who they believe should challenge the prime minister.
It is not currently clear whether the letter has already been drafted or whether it will be sent later in the summer.
Politicial analysts and bookmakers have been enjoying a flurry of activityt since the Glasgow East by-election result threw the Labour party into crisis-mode.
William Hill reduced the odds on Mr Straw taking over as leader this morning, saying he appeared to be “ducking the challenge”.
They have now cited Alan Johnson, health secretary, as the major threat, giving him odds of 9/2.
“Labour rebels see Alan Johnson as a possible replacement for Gordon Brown and we have seen money for him to be the next leader of the Labour Party causing his price to shorten”, said Hill’s spokesman Rupert Adams.
